Yaqub Beg

19th century Uyghur leader who established the Kashgaria Khanate as a independent state in Central Asia

Yaqub Beg (1820–1877) was a charismatic Uyghur merchant turned military leader who carved out the Kashgaria Khanate (1864–1877) in what is now Xinjiang, China. Born in Khiva (Uzbekistan), he traveled the Silk Road before settling in Kashgar, where he organized local militias to resist both Qing dynasty forces and invading Afghan armies. His innovative use of European firearms and administrative reforms transformed Kashgar into a thriving trade hub connecting Russia, Britain, and China.

Beg modernized his state by establishing a postal system, minting coins with Arabic and Chinese inscriptions, and inviting British engineers to build irrigation canals. His court hosted diplomats from the British Raj and Tsarist Russia, creating a unique multicultural political space. Though his state was eventually annexed by the Qing in 1877, his leadership inspired later Central Asian independence movements.

Contemporary accounts like those of British diplomat Sir Douglas Forsyth describe him as 'the most remarkable native ruler I've encountered.' His story remains a contested symbol in modern Uyghur historiography, with debates over his legacy as recorded in recent scholarship.